Count the Stars
by StarryGateway
Summary: Naruto left the village to train so he could control Kyuubi's power accompanied by a fellow jinchuuriki. 5 years later, a new village surfaces. Where is Naruto and what does this new village of Hakumei know about him and the friend he left with?
1. Chapter 1

A figure was standing on the Hokage monument, staring down at the Hidden Leaf Village below. Another figure poofed nearby and walked up to the first figure. It was too dark to see who they were but from their shadowy outlines, one looked like an older girl and the other was a boy.

"You're sure you want to do this?" the girl asked. There was deep sympathy in her voice.

"You know me better than probably anyone in this village."

"True….but still sometimes I don't know what goes on in that head of yours."

The boy was silent.

"I mean. I can go, nothing can stop me. The only one who cared deeply for me was my mother. And she died in front of my eyes trying to protect me. You, however, have friends and people you can call your family. People who would be crushed if you left. I don't need you to come now."

"It's getting worse; I can't control it half the time. And I told you before. I won't let one of us ever be alone. You need me. It doesn't matter how strong you are, you won't manage on your own knowing who you are."

"Are you sure?"

"Why do you keep asking!? I already told you!"

"Because the moment we leave the village, there's no turning back. Ever. I want you to realize that if you come with me, you can't give up and go back. Never."

The boy became silent again, thinking things over.

"Final chance. Are you sure you want to come?"

"Yes."

"Ok. There are two letters for Tsunade on her desk. She'll find them in the morning and by then we will be long gone. One is the one you wrote, and the other is mine."

The girl looked to the horizon. They had two hours before the sun would start rising.

"We need to go. We need to get past the border before daybreak, but before we reach our destination, we need to meet a friend of mine."

"Who?"

"You'll see."

And with that both figures disappeared into the fading darkness and out of the Hidden Leaf Village. The place where both of they had once called home.

'_Good-bye, my friends. I hope we will see each other again."_

**Count the Stars**** – Chapter 1**

Tsunade sat in her office looking as miserable as she had five years ago when he left. The bright ray of happiness that could melt any heart of stone. The kid could make friends no matter how short I time someone knew him. The boy who inspired all. Naruto Uzumaki.

Tsuande could remember that morning like it was yesterday….

**FLASHBACK**

_It was morning, and Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village had entered her office like she did every day. This day was different though. She didn't know why, but she felt that something was wrong. Something was missing._

_She shrugged the feeling off and sat at her desk, looking at the large pile of paperwork in front of her. Before she began to work, Tsunade noticed something. Two letters lay neatly, side by side on her desk. _

_The one on the left had a small blue tint to it, she immediately recognized that it was from Cagalli Ibara, a jounin who was know for her mastery over water and for being the container of the Eight-tailed wolf Arashi. She would read that one later. Whenever Cagalli sent a letter, it usually was a riddle with no meaning what-so-ever and drove Tsunade insane. She didn't need to deal with her right now. _

_Tsunade turned her attention to the letter on the right. It seemed normal. She picked it up and opened it. _

_Shizune entered Tsunade's office and saw her reading the letter. Tsuande dropped it and had a look of shock on her face. "LADY TSUNADE!? What's wrong?!" Shizune asked when she reached the desk. Tsunade didn't answer, instead she pointed to the opened letter that she dropped onto her desk. _

_Shizune picked up the letter and read it…._

'_Tsunade-obaasan,_

_I'm sorry it has to be this way, but I need to leave. _

_I can't control the stupid fox' chakra half the time and it's only getting worse. Ero-sennin's training isn't helping me control it either. So, I'm leaving. I don't want anyone to get hurt, if something happened to all the people I care about, I would never forgive myself. _

_Don't send out a search team. I don't know how, but Cagalli-chan said that even if you send someone, they won't find us. Cagalli-chan said her letter explains the whole situation better, so you might want to read it. _

_Well, this is good-bye. I hope we I see everyone again someday. It's unlikely but who says you can't hope?_

_Naruto Uzumaki'_

"_Oh my god….." was all Shizune could say. When Tsunade got out of her shock, she immediately grabbed Cagalli's letter, ripped it open and began to read it…_

'_Tsunade-sama,_

_I'm guessing you read the boy's letter before mine and you're pretty upset. It's pretty out of character of me to be serious in a letter but now is not the time for jokes. I'm sorry. Really I am._

_I had been planning to do this later with your approval, but you know how plans can unexpectedly change. Onee-chan couldn't even predict this to happen._

_Kyuubi's chakra is getting to difficult for Naruto to handle and thing as just going to get worse. If I had waited, Kyuubi would have taken over Naruto's body and probably destroyed everything. I know Jiraiya-sama had the best intentions in mind when he was trying to help Naruto control Kyuubi's chakra, but it won't work. The only one who can help one jinchuuriki, is another jinchuuriki._

_I'm afraid we won't be able to return. This kind of training changes people. And those changes would be the only thing will cause the entire village to turn against him, only causing more unnecessary pain. _

_Here's what I'm going to do. We are currently on route to Iwa to meet a friend of mine and then we are going to leave. I'm telling you this because I trust that you won't do anything stupid like send a 'rescue' team. I am doing this for the boy, not because I want to. If I didn't have to, then we would have never left. If you send anyone after us, I WILL KILL THEM WITH NO HESITATION! THIS IS YOUR FIRST AND ONLY WARNING! Besides, they won't find us anyway._

_Well, this is good-bye. Don't worry. Onee-chan said that we will all see each other again._

_Cagalli Ibara'_

**END FLASHBACK**

Tsunade had sent a team, against Cagalli's warning, but it didn't do much. By the time the team reached Iwa, Cagalli and Naruto had already left. It seemed that they had been there and left the same day they had arrived. And then, they vanished. No one knew where they went, no clues were left. They just…..disappeared.

Tsunade wasn't the only one who was upset by Naruto's leaving; everyone felt a similar pain and expressed it differently.

Jiraiya blamed himself for not being able to help the boy. Hinata became very quiet and Neji said that when she was in her room she was crying. Sakura also blamed herself. The both her teammates were gone and she couldn't save either of them. The entire rookie 9 were upset that the blond nin had left.

Probably the only one who didn't show his disappointment like the others was Rock Lee. Lee trained even harder, his excuse was that he wanted to become stronger so that when they saw Naruto again, he could beat him and bring him home.

"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked, getting Tsunade out of her daze. "There's a report here." She headed the blond Hokage a folder, which she opened.

"A new ninja village has surfaced. They are located in the newly formed Yami no Kuni, which is between Tsuchi no Kuni and Kaze no Kuni. They call themselves Hakumeigakure no Sato." Tsunade continued to read the folder report.

"Apparently they rule themselves differently then the other ninja villages. They have a Kage, but he just a figurehead so they can fit in. They are ruled by a council of nine shinobi each with a rank. It starts with Ichi, the weakest, and ends with Kyu, the strongest who is also the Hakumeikage. Not much else is known." Shizune finished at the same time that Tsunade put the folder down.

Just then, a woman came into the room with a scroll. "Hokage-sama! A Letter has just come from Hakumeigakure asking to meet with you." She handed the scroll to Tsunade who read it quickly.

"It seems that they will send their strongest two council members, Hachi and Kyu, for negotiations if we comply. And that it would take a week for them to arrive." She was silent, and then "Send a message back to Hakumei saying that we will allow a meeting."

"Yes ma'am!" the woman left the room and Shizune looked at Tsunade who said, "I have a funny feeling about this. And I'm not sure if it's good or bad."

* * *

Translations:

Onee-chan- big sister (It's what Cagalli uses to refer to Arashi)

Yami no Kuni- Darkness Country

Tsuchi no Kuni- Earth Country

Kaze no Kuni- Wind Country

Hakumeigakure no Sato- Village Hidden in the Twilight

Hakumeikage- Twilight Shadow ((Cool huh?))

Hachi- Eight

Kyu- Nine

Ichi- One

HOORAY!!! I'M DONE! YAHOO!!! I really like this story. If anyone reading this read All water has a source, sorry to say that's on hiatus due to lack of inspiration.

I know what you are all thinking….NO NO NO NO NO AND NO! Naruto is not Kyu, we will find out what has happened to him later. If I hear anyone comment saying that he is Kyu…..I will kill you………

Anyway. Just as a note... This story's name comes from a song I wrote recently that will show up in the story. Maybe 2-3 times. It's such a pretty song. sniff I love it.

Bye Bye…..I'll get chapter 2 up when I write it.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N

HOORAY FOR CHAPER 2! You will now meet Kyu and Hachi, Members of the Council of Nine who rule Hakumei. And if you don't know where that is then reread chapter 1.

* * *

It had been two weeks since Tsunade had sent the comply to meet with Hachi and Kyu from the new Hakumeiagakure. Their original letter said it would have taken one week. 

'_Where could they be?'_ Tsunade thought to herself. Just then, an ANBU poofed into her office.

"Hoakge-sama, Scouts have reported two figures approaching the village. They both are wearing masks so we originally thought they were hunter-nins or missing-nins from another village but…." He said.

"But what?"

"Well…they also are wearing forehead protectors with the symbol for a ninja village, but it's not one we are aware of."

"What does it look like?"

"It looks like a black sun. Maybe they are the shinobi that Hakumei was supposed to send."

"Perhaps. Well. Let's go meet them. If they aren't from Hakumei, then you will interrogate them. Understand?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama." And with that the two poofed out of the office.

**

* * *

At the Gates of Konoha**

Tsunade, Shizune, Sakura, who had been pulled of hospital duty, and a squad of ANBU waited for the two figures to come into sight.

Just as the ANBU had said, both figures wore a mask with a black sun engraved into the forehead like on a hunter-nin's mask. As they approached, one could hear the argument that one of them was having while the other was silent.

"Finally! We're here. That's the last time I ever listen to your directions Kyu! You had us walking around the entire freaking country! I could have gone with Yon! But NOOOOO. Let the boy go. He needs some fresh air. It'll be good for him." The masked nin on the left yelled to her companion. You could tell from the voice that the figure was a girl and from her comment, the figure next to her was a boy. Hachi and Kyu.

Hachi wore a wolf mask with the kanji for 'eight' engraved on the forehead and her black hair was streaked with blue, fell down to her shoulders. She wore her headband around her neck with a symbol of a black sun engraved on it. She wore a black tank-top with netting down her arms. Her pants were also black but had a certain wavy outline pattern on the trim.

Kyu wore fox mask with the kanji for 'nine' also engraved on the forehead and his hair was covered by the gray Hakumeikage hat. He wore a long-sleeved brown shirt. He also work black pants but with a fiery outline pattern along the trim.

"Don't you even try to complain! It's your fault that you got sick! You had us wandering in the Rain Country for 4 days!" Hachi yelled and then she noticed everyone watching them. "Sorry about that. I know we're late. We kinda got lost." She said, you couldn't see it but one could tell she was glaring at Kyu who just stood there.

"I am known as Hachi, eighth member of the council of nine in Hakumei. Next to me is Kyu, ninth member of the council and Hakumeikage." She said to Tsunade with a small bow and Kyu followed in suit.

Tsunade nodded, "Let's go to my office so we may talk. You must tell us about your village so that negotiations may be formed."

"Of course."

**

* * *

In Tsunade's Office**

Tsunade sat at her desk with both Shizune and Sakura on either side of her. Kyu and Hachi sat in two chairs in front of her desk, neither had removed their masks.

"Before we begin I must ask you why you continue to wear your masks. I originally thought it was only for travel but you have not removed them since you two arrived." Tsunade asked, and Hachi laughed softly. Polite but still a laugh.

"I'm sorry Hokage-sama, but we cannot remove our masks. It is a tradition in our village."

"A tradition?"

"Yes. You see, our village of Hakumei was built through the belief of 'Rebirth.' We believe everyone deserves a second chance, which is why some of our residents happen to be missing nins," Hachi noticed the brief look of disapproval on Tsunade's face and laughed, "Oh don't give me that Hokage-sama, we do have regulations on who we allow in. It's not like we will let someone like Itachi Uchiha into Hakumei. They must meet our strict requirements."

"What kind of requirements?"

"If the ninja in question was wrongfully charged for his crime or isn't as dangerous as an SS-rank or high S-rank criminal, we will allow them but they are monitored for at least 2 months before we can trust them. Anyone higher than that is closely monitored until they have proven themselves which usually takes about a year or two. But also, if they truly wish for a new start at being a ninja, a clean slate, then we will also let them."

"Could I be so bold as to ask how you can tell if someone is lying?"

"You make is sound as if we are incompetent, but yes, That is too bold. That is secret of our village, even though the process drives me crazy." With that last comment, Kyu laughed, but it was pretty raspy like he was losing his voice.

"We could cure your cold easily Kyu-sama….." Sakura began but Hachi held up her hand.

"That won't be necessary. You could say this is punishment for getting us lost. He'll be fine."

"Anyway, when one becomes a citizen of our village they are given two things. The choice of a new name, unless they decline, and a mask that represents the animal they are most like."

"So you are most like a Wolf and Kyu is like a Fox?" Sakura asked.

"Precisely, Wolves are supportive and loyal to those they care about, as am I. Kyu is pretty reckless and sly, just like a fox."

"I think we would get a lot farther if you stopped interrupting Sakura." Tsunade said calmly, "Hachi, could you tell us a bit about how your council is able to rule over your village?"

"Of course. Our council is made up of the nine strongest members of the village, both physically strong and mentally. Whenever a decision needs to be made that would affect everyone, the council meets and we unanimously come of a solution. If it only affects one part of the population, like the ninjas, normal citizens, or the hospital, the corresponding three members deal with it. Ni, Go, and Shichi, are in charge of the hospital and medic staff. Ichi, Yon and Roku deal with the normal citizens. And finally San, Kyu and myself are in charge of the ninjas. Kyu also takes care of the other two parts but most of his decisions involve the ninja since they make up over 2/3 of the population."

"Very interesting. Now if we are to be allies, then what would you propose?"

"Well, the basics. Trade, assistance in times of conflict, etc. Not much."

"Well..." Tsunade began but was cut off as Hachi once again held up her hand and looked like she had heard something.

"I'm sorry Hokage-sama, but could you excuse me for a moment?" Hachi stood up and held her hand to her ear.

"Yes? Hachi here."

"……"

"What is it Yon?"

"……"

"Can't it wait? I'm busy."

"……"

"Then make him leave."

"……"

"You know how."

"……"

"Then force him out."

"……"

"What? Who is he?"

"……"

"……..oh. Tell him to wait….." Hachi turned to Tsunade,

"um. Hokage-sama? How long will it take to get the treaty finalized?"

"About 4 days?"

"Thanks." She went back to her previous conversation with 'Yon.'

"Tell him to wait in my office. I'll Shunshin back to the village tonight and then come back. Ok? Bye."

"Sorry about that. We had a little situation but it's taken care of." Hachi said sitting back in her seat.

"Anyway, It will take four days to finalize the treaty for signing. There is a small guest house that was built for just this type of situation. You can stay there."

"Excellent. Now if you don't mind. We'd like to sight-see a bit. To see what makes this such a distinguished village."

"Of course. Sakura here will be happy to show you around." Sakura nodded in agreement. Hachi and Kyu stood up, bowed slightly to Tsunade and the three of them began to leave the room.

Hachi stopped and turned around, like she just remembered something.

"Oh, Hokage-sama? I forgot to tell you something."

"What?"

"Well….the other members of the council have met with some of the other ninja villages and they have asked if we would hold the upcoming Jounin exam. We accepted, of course. Just letting you know that the Exam will be held in Hakumei."

"Fine."

After that, Hachi followed Sakura and her companion out the door.

**

* * *

Konoha**

"And that's Ichiraku Ramen. They make the best ramen in the entire village." Sakura explained.

"Really? Well, we'll have to see about that. We make some good ramen in Hakumei but we have never compared it to anything else, as of yet." Hachi said with a small laugh.

'_Man…I was hoping we could _go_ eat. I mean, they have to take those masks off to eat right? I'd like to see what Hachi-sama and Kyu-sama really look like. The suspense is killing me.' _Sakura thought to herself.

They started walking down the street, passing some of the training grounds.

"Kyu?" Hachi said and stopped walking. She looked back to her partner who had stopped and was looking at a small stone structure. It was a flat stone in the shape of a circle with a swirl symbol in the center and pinned to the top of the stone was a leaf headband.

Hachi looked to her partner, then to the stone and finally to Sakura.

"Sakura-san? Could you tell us what that stone is for?" she asked, Sakura's expression changed to one of sadness.

"It's a memorial, for a certain ninja who lived here. He brought so much joy and hope to many of the ninja here and even to some who weren't from here. He used to be on my team. He was an idiot, but he was also so kind and always put others before himself."

"Is he dead?"

"We don't know. He just left one day." A new voice said. It was Neji. With him were Shikamaru and Kiba.

"We haven't heard anything about him since he left. Not even if he died or where he was. Nothing. It's like he just disappeared off the face of the earth." Shikamaru explained.

"What was his name?" Hachi asked, curiosity filling her voice.

"Uzumaki Naruto. Have you heard of him?" Kiba said.

Hachi was silent, and then "The name's familiar…but I'm not sure. Sorry. You could ask me when we are back in Hakumei; we have good records of everyone who enters our village. I could check for you."

"Thank you."

"No problem."

"So……sad…." A raspy voice said. Everyone looked at Kyu who was still facing the memorial.

"Kyu?"

"Seems……like he…..was…..well-loved…..Such…..a shame…" Kyu said and then coughed. Hachi went over to her partner and they silently conversed.

"Sakura-san? Could you bring us to the guest house that Hokage-sama set up for us? Kyu should rest."

"Ok."

Hachi playfully punched Kyu's shoulder and put her arm over his shoulders. They followed Sakura to Tsuande's residence, leaving Neji, Shikamaru and Kiba alone.

"That's weird….." Kiba said when they were gone.

"What?" Shikamru asked.

"Neither of those two have a scent."

"That is strange." Neji responded.

"Well, I guess we'll have some questions for them when we go to their village for the Exam."

"Indeed."

**

* * *

Konoha (11:00 PM)**

Sakura was walking home from Tsunade's office, it had been a long day. Not only did they have the sudden arrival of Kyu and Hachi but Sakura still had training with Tsunade which was always hard.

"_I had hoped that I would have gotten to see Hachi-sama and Kyu-sama's true faces. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to live with the suspense." _She thought.

She was so lost in thought that she almost didn't notice going past the guest house. The small sound of a door creaking woke her from her thoughts and she moved into an alleyway so she was not seen.

Hachi stood in the doorway and was facing the room talking to someone, most likely Kyu.

"You know I have to go talk to him."

"……"

"Don't give me that look."

"It's……dangerous……to see…….him."

"It's dangerous NOT to see him."

"….."

"Kyu…The information he gives is vital to us. Without it, we could have died multiple times in the past. Besides, I'm worried about him."

"Why…..?"

"The last time he came,….he said that the others were getting suspicious. We might have to lose contact. I want to make sure that he's ok and that talking with me hasn't caused any unnecessary pain."

"Fine…….hurry back…..We……can't…..afford to lose…….you."

"Ok, Don't worry I'll be back soon. And Kyu, if you're going to take your mask off to eat make sure that you use 'that' technique."

Hachi then closed the door. **SHUNSHIN NO JUTSU**. And with that she disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sakura quietly looked up into the window that was right near her location.

Kyu's back was to the window and he was sitting on the bed in the room. There were three other doors in the room. One led to a bathroom, another was the exit, and the final one went to the other bedroom that Hachi probably slept in. Kyu still had his Hakumeikage hat on but his fox mask lay next to him on the bed.

He began making seals for a technique that Sakura wasn't familiar with. **KUROHAKUMEI NO JUTSU** (Dark Twilight Technique). Suddenly the walls in the room turned black and so did the window that Sakura was looking through. She couldn't see anything so she was going to leave but not before she heard Kyu slurping Ramen and then, "Sakura-san…….was right….This ramen……is good."

**

* * *

Disclosed Location**

"Hachi-chan?"

"I'm here."

"We can't meet anymore. It was extremely difficult to get away to contact you. I can't stay long."

"It's ok. I understand."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You've done more than I could ever hope for. I…We owe you our lives."

"….."

"Don't contact me after this. Let's wait a while so that you aren't suspected anymore. Don't do anything that could reveal what you are doing. If we need you just watch for my signal."

" …….."

"Be careful…."

"You forget who I am."

"Sometimes…..Well, I have I have to go. Kyu's waiting."

"Here is the information I have gotten since we last met. See you later."

"Good-bye old friend."

* * *

OOOOoooooo!! Who was Hachi talking to? I know. Not gonna tell you and you'll never guess. 

((looks at comments)) no no no. that won't do. I want at least 10 comments or I won't post Chapter 3.


	3. Chapter 3

WOOT! Chapter 3 is up and ready! You lucky readers you. You guys finally get to see, well read about, the infamous Hakumeigakure! I really like this village and this chapter.

But first! (hides in disclosed location) you guys will really hate me for the end of this chapter. I'll be revealing why they haven't heard from Naruto and Cagalli. Now onto the story!

**

* * *

****

* * *

**

**2 months later.**

It had been two months since Hachi and Kyu, delegates from Hakumeigakure, had visited and signed a treaty with Konoha. The jounin exams were approaching, and as expected it was being held in Hakumei by the request of the Council of Nine.

Tsunade had sent notices to the current chunins who she felt were ready for the test. The Jounin Exam was much harsher than the Chuunin Exams and since it was being held in the newly created Hakumei, no one had even a clue as to what it might be like.

The blond Hokage stood at the gate, about to address the chunins who were going to take the exam.

The chuunins who were taking the exam are as follows: Sakura Haruno, Shikamaru Nara, Kiba Inuzuka, Rock Lee, Neji Hyuuga, and, surprisingly, Hinata Hyuuga.

The jounins who would accompany them, along with the Hokage herself, were: Kakashi Hatake, Kurenai Yuuhi, and Gai Maito.

"Alright. We don't know what our new ally has in store of this exam, so expect anything! You chuunin have been chosen because you seem qualified to prove yourself. Show them all what Konoha is made of!" she said and received a cheer in response.

888888888888888888888888888

((FASTFORWARD POWER!!))

**Hakumeigakure ((well, outside it.))**

The only thing someone could say about the outside of Hakumei was 'Wow.' An enormous wall surrounded the entire village. It resembled something that had been charred, but what was incredible was within the wall itself. Neji and Hinata informed Tsunade that the entire wall had nine separate chakra signals following through it.

Kiba actually was bold enough to touch the wall, but was shot back about 5 feet by an unseen force.

"The chakra within acts as a second defense. The wall itself could easily be brought down. So whoever's chakra flows within, helps reinforce it." Neji said, his Byakugan still activated.

"Pretty smart, white eyes." A voice said. Everyone looked up. On the top of the wall were two figures. One female and the other male, both wearing masks and the official headband of Hakumei.

The girl wore a cat mask with the Kanji for "two" engraved on it, her blond hair streaked with red was held in a long pony-tail that rested on her left shoulder. She wore a tight purple shirt with matching purple fingerless gloves and netting connecting the two. Her pants were black with a fiery pattern on the trim, just like Kyu's had been.

The man wore a weasel mask with the kanji for "six" engraved on it. His black hair was spiky with yellow/gold tips, like he'd put his hand in an electrical outlet ((A/N: Lol. I love Roku)) He wore an orange muscle shirt and his pants, black, had more of an electric pattern along the trim.

"We are the ninja from Konoha, here to take the jounin exams." Tsunade declared. The two figures jumped from the wall. Ni landed with the grace of a ballerina, while Roku fell flat on his face.

"Ow…..that hurt." Roku said.

"I told you not to jump." Ni responded, then turned her attention to the nins after she helped her partner up.

"We know. Hachi-sama told us you were coming. Come on in." She said with a cheerful chirp. "Just give us a minute to open the door."

Both Ni and Roku stood four feet from the large closed door, taking a taijutsu-like stance that was unfamiliar to everyone, including Gai and Lee. Then they both punched the door, both punches were enforced with visible chakra. Ni's black chakra slithered up towards the top with Roku's yellow chakra zigzagging close behind. The chakra disappeared and the two nins backed up as the door opened, revealing the beauty that was Hakumei.

Hakumei was impressive. There was a waterfall that poured out of the mountain side that backed the village. The rushing water broke off into three parts and the center river flowed to the center of the village and circled around a small open shrine. Trees and flowers bloomed everywhere. The administration building stood next to the falls and had the kanji for "darkness" on it.

"Let's see, where did Hachi-sama want us to bring them? …..AH yes! The Residential Section for guests. Follow us" Ni said then saw the awed look on the leaf nins face. She giggled. "Oh come on. It's not that impressive."

Tsunade, the chuunin, and jounin followed Ni and Roku. As they went through the center of the village, they passed the small open shrine and got a better look of it. It was made of a crystalline colored wood and seemed to have a golden glow. Inside there was a pedestal with a silver ball resting on it. The kanjis of the numbers 1-9 flashed in order on the ball's surface, each with a different color glow. The ball itself also seemed to glow.

"Hey. What's that shrine is for?" Shikamaru asked. Roku was the one who answered him.

"You could say it's our village's defense mechanism. It's ok for us to tell you because there is no way for anyone to destroy or even get near it. The Council of Nine are the only ninjas in our village who are able to enter the Kurisutaru Shrine and activate it. It reacts to our chakra alone, just like the wall." Roku explained.

When they passed the administration building, there was a large flat stone in front of it with writing on it. It read:

_Look to the sky, and Count the stars_

_And you find just how small we are._

_Look to the sky, you will find us there._

_Flying high without a care._

_Surrounded by friends, we are never alone._

_This is the place we can finally call home._

_Crystalline waters and blooming trees._

_This is the place where we are finally free._

_What is this place? And what is it called?_

_That kind of thing is not a secret at all._

_A place the sun and moon call home._

_Twilight is where you will never be alone._

_Look to the sky, and Count the stars_

_And you find just how small we are._

_Look to the sky, you will find us there._

_Flying high without a care._

"Such a pretty song." Sakura said, Hinata was thinking the same thing but couldn't bring herself to speak.

"Isn't it?" Ni chirped, "Hachi-sama created it. It's our village's song. There are more verses but these are the most important to the village as a whole."

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

(FASTFORWARD POWER!)

**Hakumei: Residential Section for Guests** ((A/N Yes….that's what it's called))

The residential section for guests was, well, similar to how the clan compounds were in Konoha. A low fence surrounded all the housings. What was different was that one of the branched of rivers from the falls went straight through the compound.

"Ok…Konoha….Konoha…" Ni was looking at a small list. "Here it is. Konoha is sharing RSG Section B with Suna. Lucky you. Jounins and Lady Hokage get the first two housings while chunins get the four housings after that."

"RSG?" Kiba asked.

"Residential Section for Guests. DUH! I only said it about seven times." Ni groaned, Roku let out a soft chuckle but when his partner looked at him he immediately shut up.

"Ok, that's it. Exams begin tomorrow at 8AM sharp. Someone will come to show you where to go tomorrow. Make sure you're ready for anything." She chirped.

The Hokage and Jounins went to their housings and so did some of the chunins. Only Sakura, Shikamaru, and Hinata stayed outside.

"Now where could Hachi-sama be? She said all we had to do was greet the villages and then we could go back to our own work. Where is she?" Ni whined.

Ni acted like a little child. Enemies probably would fall for it and underestimate her, but Shikamaru didn't fall for it. He had a feeling that she was a lot stronger than she appeared.

"She's probably training with Kyu-sama." Roku aid, annoyance clear in his voice. It was obvious that Ni was always like this and it wasn't just a fluke. He turned his attention to the remaining three. "I suspect you have some questions."

"Well…" Sakura started but was interrupted by a voice screaming, "YAHOO!!!"

They all looked at the waterfall. The splashing visible said that someone was 'sliding down' the falls like it was a water slide. When the splashing was close to the five, it shot out of the water, drenching everyone. A girl stood behind Ni and Roku, and she was wearing a wolf mask.

"Must you always do that, Hachi-sama? Ugg… I'm completely soaked." Roku groaned.

"Well, If you were as a good a ninja as you are named, you would have dodged." Hachi laughed.

"Does that mean we can leave?"

"Yeah. I got to find Kyu, so I'll come with you."

They were about to leave when Shikamaru spoke, "Hey Hachi." The three masked nins looked back.

"Remember what you said what you would do when you got back to your village?"

**88888888888888888**

**FLASHBACK**

"_The name's familiar…but I'm not sure. Sorry. You could ask me again when we are in Hakumei; we have good records for everyone who enters our village. I could check for you."_

"_Thank you."_

"_NO problem."_

**FLASHBACK OVER**

**888888888888888888**

"So. Did Naruto Uzumaki and Cagalli Ibara ever come to this village?"

"I'll check. HEY NI!" she shouted, since Ni had walked ahead.

"What?"

"Have we ever had a Naruto Uzumaki and a Cagalli Ibara in our village?"

Everyone was confused, so was Shikamaru. By records, they thought written and that it would take more time.

"Yeah! Don't you remember Hachi-sama? The kid, the girl, and that old guy came 3 years ago when we were still building the village!"

Hinata's heart jumped_. 'Is Naruto-kun's alive?' _That same thought went through all their heads.

"OH YEAH! Now I remember." Hachi looked back at the awe-struck Konoha nins. "They came three years ago. We asked them to stay, but the girl, Cagalli, said they had some unfinished business to take care of. It was a shame. They were good ninjas, the three of them."

"Do you know where they went?" Hinata asked, bringing more shock to the Konoha nins. Hinata didn't speak much anymore, and to hear her talk was indeed a shock.

"Hachi-sama?"

"Yeah?"

"I did some checking up on them. And…well…"

"Well what?" It was obvious that Hachi was concerned.

"The last I've heard of the three of them……They were…"

"They were what? Out with it Ni!" Shikamaru said.

Everyone was impatient and the Konoha nins were especially worried. What had happened to their blond-haired friend and his companions?

"…Dead."

* * *

Me: (hiding) LOOK! I didn't want to do it, but I had to! It was hard enough to kill off my favorite character and my own character! (crying) WAAAAHHHHH!!!! NARU-CHAN!!!!! It was the only way to get my story going.

Arashi: There, there… (hugs)

Kyuubi: If this doesn't get comments (AKA flames) then nothing will.

OH! I forgot to say! These are my muses. Kyuubi ((yes 'that' Kyuubi)) And Arashi, the eight-tailed wolf of my own creation.

Kyuubi: 'sup

Arashi: HELLO!

Sooooooo? How'd you like my song? It's a lot longer but I just post these verses. You'll hear more of the verses later in the story.

Arashi: Well. That's it.

Kyuubi: Yup.

Me: See you next chapter!!


	4. Chapter 4

Whoa

Whoa! Sorry for the wait. I've just been really busy. Life as a junior in high school is hell.

Arashi: Evil SATs. Curse them and their 25-minute time limit for essay.

Kyuubi: Just get on with the story.

Me: Story? (Remembers chapter 3) WAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!! NARU-CHAN!! (Crying)

I feel really bad about……I can't even say the damn word. I feel bad about, making……Naru-chan……disappear forever………..waaaaaahhhh!!

--

**The Next Day**

Ni had been right. When the Konoha shinobi had woken up, there was someone waiting for them outside. The ninja wasn't one of the Council because he lacked a kanji number on his mask. When Tsunade came out of her housing structure, he bowed politely.

"Hokage-sama, I hope you enjoyed our hospitality. I have been ordered by San-sama to escort you and your shinobi to the registration center and the location of the first exam. "

She only nodded and followed the hawk-masked ninja with all her shinobi behind her. Sakura and Hinata had been still in too much shock so Shikamaru was the one who had told her about Naruto and Cagalli's fates. It was taking all of her strength to remain calm, but she was still hurting on the inside, as was everyone who had been told. Still, they had to be strong and not let their despair be shown in front of the other nations.

The Hakumei shinobi, who had told them his name was Kaito, had led them to the administration building and then began leading them to the enormous waterfall that was behind it on the left.

The falls crashed down with what seemed like enough force to level mountains. Yet when it reached the pool that branched off into the village, the water was pristine and showed no knowledge that it had come from such a powerful source. The crashing was so deafening that they barely heard Kaito when he yelled 'at' the falls.

"SAN-SENSEI! ALLOW US PASSAGE!" And as if in response, the falls began to part at the bottom to allow passage. Behind the waterfall was a hollow tunnel that led into darkness. Kaito led everyone quickly behind the falls before they closed behind them.

"You're late, Kaito." A voice said. Out of the dark shadows came another masked ninja. His mask was that of a shark with the kanji for 'three' engraved on it. One could barely see his short, spiky from hair behind his mask but it was a gray-blue color with dark blue waves flowing through it. He wore a blue muscle shirt and black shorts that looked as if the ends had been bitten. What was really odd about this ninja was the fact that he wore manacles on his wrists and ankles. The shark-masked ninja crossed his arms in irritation and was apparently looking at Kaito.

"You were supposed to be here a half-hour ago."

"Sorry, San-sensei. I have no excuse. I overslept."

"Be grateful that the Konoha shinobi still have plenty of time to register and that Hachi-sama is out training." San looked to Tsunade and gave a small bow.

"My apologizes, Hokage-sama. Please forgive my idiot student."

"It's quite alright. We enjoyed Katio-kun's company."

"Indeed, now if you will follow me, I will take you to the site of the first test. Stay close for it is easy to get lost here." San looked to Kaito, "Go meet your team and tell them to warm-up."

"Yes San-sensei!" and with that, Kaito shunshined away.

San led the Konoha shinobi down the dark passage. San was silent the entire way. He only stopped for a moment at any fork they reached and then began walking down what seemed to be the right path. The passage opened up into a room that was twice the size of any academy classroom. Shinobi of many villages sat with their villages and didn't notice the Leaf ninja entering. Sakura saw Kaito with two other Hakumei ninja and he waved back at them.

San led the group to a table with two of the three seats filled. The shinobi on the left was Roku, who was rocking in his chair, looking extremely bored from his body language. He almost fell out of his chair when he noticed San standing in front of him.

The other ninja was unknown to them. Her red hair was streaked with orange and yellow, making it look like it was fire. Two fiery bangs framed the sides of her elaborate bird mask that had the kanji for "five" engraved on it.

"Welcome, Konoha shinobi, my name is Go. We will begin the First Exam shortly. We are just waiting for someone. Make yourself comfortable." The bird-masked council member said.

Tsunade nodded and led her shinobi to an area of the room that wasn't occupied. Everyone in the room was nervous, and there was reason to be. Hakumei was new, and no one had any idea of what their exams would be like. The only ones who didn't seem worried from their body language were the Hakumei shinobi themselves.

Tsunade took a look around once again, just to take in what villages were here. There were at least 12 shinobi from the Hidden Mist, 15 from the Hidden Stone, 9 from the Hidden Rain, 6 from the Hidden Grass, and 15 from the Hidden Twilight themselves. Tsunade was surprised to see that there were 12 ninja from the Hidden Cloud. The Sand shinobi were there too, but only 5 of them, two of which were Temari and Kankuro. Gaara wasn't there, but it came as no surprise. The Akatsuki had come for him two years ago, and they couldn't get to him in time. He had either been moved or they destroyed the body, but either way Gaara was gone.

The Hokage and jounin talked with either other, leaving the Leaf ninaj taking the exam together. Just then, Kaito walked up to them with his teammates.

One of them wore a weasel mask and had blue hair tied in a short horsetail. The other wore the mask of a monkey and her borwn hair was tied in two side ponytails.

"So you guys ready for the exam?" Kaito cheerfully said.

"Are you?" Sakura asked. His weasel masked teammate scoffed.

"We've been ready for this exam since we became chuunins. It's pretty obvious what San-sensei and the other have planned for us."

"That's not nice Hayase. They aren't from here. It's not their fault they don't know what the exams will be." The monkey masked girl said.

"You mean you know?" asked Kiba.

"Of course. By the way, my name's Saru."

"The exam will begin behind those doors." Kaito said pointing to a series of three doors behind the desk where Go, Roku and San were sitting. "Each council member here will enter one door and each ninja will be called one by one. The test will be different for this leg for everyone."

"One by one? Won't that take a while?" Shikamaru said.

"Seeing that it's Go-sama, Roku-sama, and San-sensei proctoring, not really." Hayase responded.

"After that, the remaining ninja will be brought deeper into the catacombs. I don't know the specifics, but you'll have to get through and that place is a giant maze. Half the people who go in will get lost."

"And getting lost won't be the only thing you have to worry about. I heard that even Hachi-sama and Kyu-sama themselves designed the traps." Saru said.

"WHAT? ARE YOU SERIOUS? WHO TOLD YOU THAT?" You could tell that Kaito and Hayase were now very nervous.

"Hachi-sama told me."

The two masked male teammates were silent for a moment and then Kaito began to speak again.

"Well anyway. The final exam's a given. One on one fights."

"Wow, they don't seem much different than the chuunin exams." Sakura said with a sigh of relief.

"Not even close."

"The jounin selection exam, especially in Hakumei, has always been extremely difficult and precise on what the judges look for. This test is what separates 'the wolves from the housedogs' as Hachi-sama put it." Hayase explained.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kiba growled and Akamaru barked. Saru put her arms in the universal 'whoa Nelly' gesture.

"Relax, it's just a metaphor. Hachi-sama always refers to great ninja as wolves and normal ones as housedogs. There's nothing to get offended about." She said.

Suddenly everything went quiet. Kaito and his group ran back to the other Hakumei ninja. At the table, the three Council members were standing up. In front of them was another masked shinobi. From his white/gray hair and his body structure, it was easy to assume that he was old. He wore a dog mask with the kanji for 'four' engraved on it.

'_This must be the Yon that Hachi had been talking about.'_ Tsunade thought, remembering the visit of the Hakumei members. He had a grace of power and authority around him that made it seem that one shouldn't talk formally to him. Too bad that Tsunade's assumptions were wrong.

"You're late you crazy old man." It was Roku.

"I am never late. You were all just early." One could hear a huge amount of snickering from the Hakumei ninja.

"Welcome to the First Exam of the Jounin Selection Exam. I am Yon, Kyu-sama's second in command. Behind me are San, Go, and Roku. They will be administering the exam." You could tell he was looking around at all the participants.

"Each shinobi will be called one by one into one of the rooms behind us. There, you will be administered your personal First Exam. No one person's exam will be the same as anyone else's. They are all unique. If you must know, we have prepared over one hundred possible exams choices…………"

"One-by-one?! That will take forever, you old geezer!" A ninja from the Hidden Cloud yelled.

"Back off Cloud ninja! I won't let you disrespect Yon-sama!" A bear-masked Hakumei shinobi yelled back.

"Or what?"

"SILENCE!" Everyone turned; it had been San who yelled. Everyone was silent, mostly because you could feel a murderous intent just emanating from San.

"Thank you San-hokai." Yon said, San bowed and then Yon began to talk.

"I appreciate your concern Kumamaru, but it is quite alright." The bear-masked nin backed up "As for the rude Cloud shinobi, you'd be surprised on how fast the First Exams will go." The Cloud shinobi also backed up.

"If you fail, you will be sent back to the housing section that was designated for your village. If you pass, you will be directed to another door which will lead to the location of the Second Exam which will begin once everyone has finished. Anymore questions?" No one responded.

"Excellent, ninja from the Hidden Mist and Stone please line up by Door 1." There was silence as the Stone and Mist lined up at the door that Roku was now standing at.

"Will the Hidden Cloud, Rain and Grass please line up by Door 2?" There was equal silence as the said ninja lined up by San's door.

"And finally, Hidden Sand, Leaf and Twilight, go to the remaining door." There were now three lines of shinobi minus the instructors and leaders. "Now if the leaders and jounin will follow me. Begin the exam." And with that the adults left and the line began to move.

Yon had been right. After only 20 minutes, 1/3 of the line was finished for each door. The only problem was that there was no way of figuring out what kind of test the person before you was taking. Despite the fact that there was supposedly over one hundred possible tests.

15 minutes later, the first of the Konoha shinobi, Sakura, entered the door to her First Exam.

((A/N: I'm only gonna show one of the tests. Doing all of them would take waaaayy too long.))

When Sakura entered, she took a moment to take note of her surroundings. It was an empty room except for a wooden chair in the direct center of the room. Go was standing a few feet away from the chair, looking directly at Sakura.

"Ah, Miss Haruno. Please sit down and we will begin." She said, backing away from the chair. Sakura went over and sat down. There was nothing about the bird-masked council member that could reveal what would happen next.

"Tell me Miss Haruno, what made you want to participate in the exam?" Sakura was confused. Was this her test?

"Well, my sensei……" she started but was interrupted.

"I don't care that your sensei thought you should participate. What matters is that you could have chosen not to take the test, but you didn't. Why? And tell the truth, for I will know very easily if you are lying." It was then that Sakura knew that this wasn't like the Chuunin exams at all. You weren't supposed to lie, they wanted the truth.

"Well, one of my teammates betrayed our village and left. Before then, I hadn't been much help for my teammates, I was just a burden. When my first teammate left, the other said that he would do whatever he could do get him back. I knew then that I couldn't allow myself to be a burden. That I had to get stronger so that I would be able to get him to come home. And then, the other teammate left. No one knew why. I knew that I had to get even stronger. To get both of them back."

"Those teammates wouldn't happen to be Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki, would they?" Sakura's eyes widened in shock. How did she know?

"Thought so. Anyway, let's have a hypothedical situation. Say you and a team of four other ninja confront, let's say, Sasuke Uchiha. You are team leader and some of the members of your team are badly wounded and need more medical treatment than you can provide. However, if you leave, Sasuke would get away and you might not get another chance like this. What would you do? Would you escape and help you teammates or would you leave them and pursue Sasuke?"

"I… I would help my other teammates."

"Explain, because it means that Sasuke gets away."

"I know… but, As team leader, I would have to make sure that everyone survives the mission. Even if it means losing Sasuke."

"The mission is a failure then."

" I would take full responsibility." Go started clapping softly.

"Congratulations. You pass Exam 1." Sakura looked up in confusion.

"That's it?"

"Yup."

"But…" Go raised her hand and interrupted her,

"A jounin must be able to lead, that is true. But to us, they must b able to take a risk and also take responsibility of their actions no matter what."

Sakura stood up and made a slight bow to Go, who in turn also bowed.

"Thank you for your time, Sakura," she waved her hand and another door appeared, "Please follow that door and it will lead you to the next exam."

Sakura hen realized something, "You use Shadow Clones to administer the test. That's why it takes a short time."

"Come now, was it really that easy?"

"Kind of."

"It's an effective method, no?"

Sakura smiled and nodded. She walked to the door, opened it and walked down the hallway.

Go reached into her pocket when she was sure that Sakura was gone. She held a small switch which had two buttons, one for PASS and another for FAIL. She pressed the one for PASS and there was a sound of moving gears.

**DEEPER IN THE CATACOMBS**

The passage way opened up and Sakura found herself in another open area, still underground. On the opposite wall were about 10 entrances that seemed to lead deeper into the catacombs. She located the other Leaf ninja and went over.

"Everyone passed?" she asked.

"Yeah, but it was dead hard. I had to fight Go and I wasn't allowed to have any help from Akamaru." Kiba said.

"Hinata could use any Gentle Fist techniques and I could use my Byakugan at all." Neji said.

Sakura looked around. There weren't that many ninja still in the exam. About half of the shinobi who went into the First Exam were missing. Suddenly a square opening opened in the floor and a platform rose up. On the platform were three figures. One of them was Ni, but the other two were new.

The first figure wore a raccoon mask with the kanji for 'One' engraved on it. His red had was spikey and had a gold color on the tips. He wore a dark tan overcoat and black pants.

The other one was much shorter than Ni and Ichi.

((A/N- Shichi: I'M NOT SHORT!!))

She wore a badger mask with the kanji for 'Seven' engraved on it. Her an/brown hair was short in the front and the back was in a ponytail. She wore a sleeve-less brown shirt with multiple armbands along on her arms and brown short and similar legs bands along her legs.

The shorter one ((A/n- Shichi: I'M NOT SHORT!!)), called out to the remaining ninja

"Welcome to the Second Exam. I' m Shichi. With me are Ichi and Ni, and we will be administering the exam."

"AND WHAT EXACTLY IS THE EXAM?" Someone called out. You could hear Shichi smirk.

"It's a Maze, and basically, you have to get through it without dying."

--

Wow…..this was long, for me.

Arashi: We'll begin working on Chapter 5 next.

Kyuubi: Be warned. Finals, Regents, and other important things are coming up. So it might be a while.

Me: Till then! BYE!


	5. Chapter 5

Arashi: Hello there. This is Arashi. EightTailedWolf is not here right now. She's off doing college applications and other Senior stuff.

Kyuubi: Arashi, You're lying. $5 says she's sleeping.

Anyway. Sorry about the huge wait. I got writer's block with this chapter and then senior year started and I got busy.

ONTO THE STORY! (Before this gets ugly)

* * *

"It's a Maze, and basically, you have to get through it without dying." Shichi said with a smirk. Ichi stepped forwards.

"What Shichi means is that the second test is a maze. You have two objectives while inside. First, you need to get to the center of the maze and acquire a key. Don't even think of taking more than one, or else you will be immediately expelled from the maze and village. We only have enough keys for each group to have one. Secondly, with your key in hand, you shall make towards the end of the maze where you shall use the key to escape. You are all to make teams of no more than three shinobi from your own village. You will then be directed to the door you shall be entering. The exam will begin when everything is ready." He said in a stoic voice.

"A maze, huh. That won't be too hard. Shorty there makes it sound like our lives are at risk." Said a Hidden Stone shinobi. One second later, the shinboi was trapped in a small rock prison.

"I suggest you take that back. I have no problem in killing you." Shichi said angrily. Her hands were in the Snake hand seal, and when she released the jutsu, the Stone ninja was gasping for air.

'_Better be careful about that one. She's scary.' _Sakura thought.

The shinobi then began to split up amongst their villages. Since there were only six of them, the leaf shinobi split into two teams. One team consisted of Neji Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Sakura Haruno. The other team consisted of Hinata Hyuuga, Shikamaru Nara, and Rock Lee.

"Before we forget. This is not an ordinary maze. Each member of the Council of Nine has contributed to the traps that you will encounter in the maze and certain traps may kill you if you are not careful. Unlike other villages, we are not being held accountable for you safety. So don't come crying to use if you die. You have 5 days to finish. Let the games begin!" Ni said, snapping her fingers, causing the doors to open and the test to begin.

* * *

**With Leaf Squad A (Neji, Kiba, Sakura)**

((A/N We are only gonna follow one group otherwise I'll go crazy))

"What do you think she meant by 'Let the games begin'?" Sakura asked.

"Who knows, they're probably trying to scare us. I wouldn't worry about it." Neji responded.

When the entered the maze, they quickly found out that the Byakugan was not as effective as normally. They could not see very far into the maze. So they decided to have the Byakugan locate other shinobi before they ran into them and use Kiba and Akamaru's sense of smell to find the center.

Something about the empty hall they were walking down gave Sakura the creeps. She could tell that something was about the happen.

"Don't know what those guys were talking about. We haven't run into a single tr….AAAAHHH!!" Kiba started until the floor under him glowed the kanji for 'Nine' and then disappeared into a hole. He grabbed Akamaru while Neji and Sakura grabbed his arms and pulled him out before he fell into the bottomless pit.

"That was a close one." Kiba said catching his breath.

"My Byakugan didn't see any trap."

"Maybe this maze has more to it than meets the eye."

"And it's only going to get worse from here on in." said Sakura.

* * *

**Somewhere within Hakumeigakure**

"She's right about that Kyu."

"I know."

"Hey Hachi! Those stone ninja who called Shichi 'Shorty' activated her trap and are unable to continue."

"That's what they get for calling me short!"

"What trap did you choose?"

"Number 40"

"I think that was a bit much."

"Well look a Kyu's! A hole! Are you kidding me? He gets a hole but I don't get my rocks?"

"Enough! You are all acting like little children!"

"But Yon, You're the only one above 30."

"……"

"You guys get all the fun. I have to wait till the end to see my traps."

"Relax Ni. One of the groups is heading for one of my traps."

"One of Hachi-sama's traps? This I have to see."

"Where will it take them?"

"Depends on who reaches it first."

* * *

**Back in the Maze with Leaf Group #1 (Sakura, Kiba, Neji)**

The group came to another dead end, but it was different than before. There was a small puddle of crystalline water that seemed to teem with chakra.

"What do you think…." Sakura started but was cut off by the sound of footsteps. They turned around and were met by one of the groups from the Hidden Grass.

"Another dead-end? Damn, we have bad luck." One of them said.

"I wouldn't think so. We could take out these Leaf ninja."

"One less group to fight!" the final laughed.

A soft voice then came from the puddle of crystal water.

"_Hello there and good day,_

_Is what I'd like to say._

_But sadly, this will not be fair today._

_My riddle is for one group and one group alone,_

_Dealing with the other is your choice alone."_

"I don't know what that was about, but that doesn't sound too bad!"

"Prepare yourself!" The Grass ninja rushed at Sakura's group.

The Leaf ninja got ready for a fight when…

The group from the Grass Village fell into another hole, disappearing from sight.

"That was odd. How come we didn't activate the trap?"

"Who knows. At least we can conserve our strength."

((A/N Yeah I know that was a cop-out. I can't write good fight scenes yet. Give me a break!!!))

Suddenly, the small puddle of water spoke again.

"_With water as my medium and my element to claim,_

_I am here as assistance to this fun little game._

_Answer correctly to my silly rhyme_

_And you will find yourself passing through both space and time_

_And end up closer to what you need to find._

_This trial is not for the weak,_

_Will you be a brave lion or a timid sheep?"_

"Who are you calling a SHEEP?" Kiba yelled.

"Relax Kiba. We need our wits about us to get this right. Not our strength. Use your head!"

"We're ready." Sakura said.

"_Very well, listen carefully little sheep,_

_For it is not in my nature to repeat."_

There was a soft hum and a ripple pulsed in the water before it spoke again.

"_My first is in water and also in tea. _

_My second is in fish but not in the sea. _

_My third is in mountains but not underground. _

_My last is in strike but never in pound.  
My whole crushes mountains, rivers, even civilizations._

_And all that live, fear my arrival.  
What am I?"_

"WHAT KIND OF RIDDLE IS THAT?!?! IT MAKES NO SENSE!"

Sakura and Neji ignored Kiba's rants about how little sense the riddle made.

"Wait… Could it be that simple?"

"What are you thinking Neji?"

"Is the answer Time?"

A soft giggle was heard from the puddle,

"_Very clever little sheep._

_You are the first this one has not beat._

_Through my power space will bend._

_And _

All of a sudden, the puddle glowed brightly and engulfs the group. When the light disperses, the group is gone.

* * *

**Somewhere in Hakumeiagakure**

"That was cheating Kyu."

"Wasn't mine."

"It was mine!"

"Shichi?"

"It's new! The DRTH! Delayed-Response Trap Hole!"

"Oh… I guess that's ok."

* * *

**Back with the Team Leaf A**

When the light dissipated, the three leaf shinobi found themselves in a very large room.

"What happened here?" Sakura gasped. All around them were the bodies of fallen teams covered in dark green vines. A quick check of one of the team showed that they weren't dead, just very unconscious and no form of action could wake them. Sakura noticed that some of the ninja seemed to have been running away from the center of the room.

In the direct center of the room was enormous tree that seemed to give off a green aura. Around part the tree's truck was a metal wrap with keys protruding from it.

"Didn't they day that we needed a key to get out? These must be them." Kiba said running up.

"Wait Kiba! Something doesn't seem right!"

"Hey look at this! Two of them have the leaf symbol on them!"

Neji and Sakura joined their comrade and sure enough two of the keys had the leaf symbol engraved on their handles.

"Take only one. Remember they said there was only enough for each team to have one." Neji reminded him

"And looking around it seems that these teams didn't do that."

As Kiba took out on of the keys, a dark passage opened up.

"I guess we go on."

"I guess so." Sakura said and lead her team into the dark hallway.

* * *

**Somewhere in Hakumeiagakure**

"I was hoping for another show. Yon's Tree of Medusa is always fun to watch."

"I told them not to try and take more than one key."

"But no one listens to you Ichi."

"Exactly."

"Oh well, it doesn't really matter now."

"Why's that?"

"There's a reason why the second half of the maze is short."

"Why?"

"It becomes Ni's domain."

* * *

Ok. FINALLY. I was serious about the writer's block and school stuff. Whoever said that senior year was easy is lying! On top of that, my sister wouldn't let me on the computer at home that I had saved this chapter on, so I could never get to it.

Again, Sorry for the wait.


End file.
